MARZWRLD: A Multidisciplinary Artist

MARZWRLD is a multidisciplinary artist known for blending visual art and fashion into a beautifully chaotic creative universe. Based in New York City, MARZ has spent the past few years building a body of work that spans photography, modeling, fashion design, event curation, and now—drag. With a background in photography and self-expression through styling, MARZ has modeled for notable brands like Snipes USA and Sprayground, just to name a few. Through their brand PLANETMARZ, they repurpose thrifted clothing into one-of-a-kind wearable art, often incorporating their own original photography and mixed media techniques.

As an event curator, MARZ most recently launched ‘Promiscuous’ , a space for community, artistry, and liberation. Now stepping into the world of drag, MARZ is embracing their full creative identity. Rooted in vulnerability, authenticity, and fearless self-expression.

I had the privilege of chatting with them and trust me, their world is one you’ll want to take a look into.

Diamond Durant: So, first and foremost, what does fashion mean to you personally and creatively? 

MARZWRLD: Fashion. I guess I didn't grow up in the fashion world and knowing anything about fashion until I just ran and we dived into it. It's just like with everything that I do, it's part of freedom of expression. It's just like another part of me being able to be me authentically. It's [fashion] just expression and self-expression and authenticity.

Durant: You work with mixed media in your designs. Can you walk us through your process and what drew you to mixed media, and how has it shaped your voice as a designer? 

MARZWRLD: I like mixed media because you never know what's going to happen. You work with different materials and react differently to different things.I feel I'm more connected with my art when I  just kind of black out in a way, and just let my body just do its thing and just be in a whole flow state. I don't really have a process of making things. I just see these different materials and these different objects and I'm just like, “what if I put that and this together”, “what if I add water to this?” “What if I glue this, let it dry and then chip away at it?”I just have these what if questions and so that allows me to explore a lot more. And what was the second question? 

Durant: How has it [mixed media] shaped your voice as a designer? 

MARZWRLD: Yeah, I've definitely tried to learn Photoshop and, you know, online, like editing software. Like I love doing videos. I love, you know, editing photos. I also think that it's rooting my inner child and connecting with that because, you know, growing up, we did a lot of arts and crafts. And so I just loved touching things and making things with my hands. I would say just by experimenting, and now being at the place I am and seeing my work throughout time. I definitely see the connections to everything. It's just helped me get my story across better by doing mixed media, adding these extra elements.

Durant: So you're a model, a designer and a newly formed drag artist. How does your self-expression shift or stay consistent across those identities, or do they feed into one another? 

MARZWRLD: I think they feed into one another, but they're also their separate entities. I definitely think, if you do more than one thing, it helps with the other thing. I haven't done photography in a minute and I've been kind of creatively blocked there, but drag recently has opened that up for me again. I love doing weird shoots and creating these drag looks. Just having that creative energy flow back into that part of me, while also finding this new creative outlet. Drag has allowed me to express myself in such a different way. Modeling in a way is kind of like acting. You're becoming this kind of persona. You're just posing and you're there and then not. But like with drag, you're in, you're in it. Like you are this person for however long your performance is, at least for me. I love dancing. I love letting my body move, so just letting the music flow through me. I think that's like what my art is, essentially just being in a constant flow state and seeing what comes from that. But yeah, it's all connected and it all has helped me with my other creative endeavors and definitely get it better at each one. 

Durant: How did you first get into drag? Was there a specific moment or was it something that you always been interested in but never had the time to do so?

MARZWRLD: Yes. So I've been wanting to do drag for a minute, and I mean, Ive been doing drag makeup for photoshoots, I grew up a theater kid and and I've done plays and I've done like talent shows and I go to the club and I dance at the club, so you know,  I've always had that, and I've always wanted to do drag and put that together, but I've just always had this fear of doing it. The fear of performing, doing drag, and going out in drag, but I'm such a perfectionist that it hinders me sometimes. I’m in my head and it makes me not do things and push it off because I'm like “oh, I really can't do my own makeup that well. So, you know, I'm just not going to do it as a whole” instead of just going and diving in. Knowing it's the first time, you're not going to be good the first time you do something that you've never done before. I just moved into my new apartment. Now I live with two drag queens. So just seeing them do their thing and just having this itch to do it as well. They helped me get into drag. They provided me with makeup or tips and this and that. So they provide me with encouragement. One of my roommates said there was this drag show that happens every month and it's open sets and I should sign up. And so I did. I had my first performance and it was so fun. And now I'm on my third performance and I just remember my first performance and being nervous and now I'm looking back at my latest performance and I just can't remember having any nerves right before the performance. So it's really helping with my confidence and each time I do it, it gets easier and better.

Durant: And um what would you say your biggest accomplishment is so far, whether a moment, a collaboration or a personal breakthrough? 

MARZWRLD: So I've been in New York for under a year and I've done a lot in that time, I feel like, and so I'm really proud of myself for coming here and really pursuing what I said I was going to pursue and, you know, just putting action behind my own words.  Even through the ups and downs. It's fucking hard on top of it being expensive. New York has a way of really chewing you up and spitting you out, girl. and then my [day] job laying me off two times and, you know, dealing with all that, I think I'm really proud of myself for persevering and like continuing to get my shit done and doing what I said I came to New York to do. So I'm really proud of that and a more specific moment, I'm really proud of my organizing, especially my Halloween party. But actually, I'm really more proud of my queer prom, PROMiscuous’  that just happened. 

Durant: In a world that's constantly trying to box people in, how do you stay rooted in your truth while continuing  to evolve? 

MARZWRLD: I get a lot of my inspiration from just like, like life experiences. A lot of my work can do with living life, so just always just allowing myself to breathe and touch grass and know that like there are no limits to anything and that anything is possible. And if I want it, I got it, I can think it. 

Durant: Rejection is a part of the creative industry or creative space as a whole. How have you learned to handle step backs and keep motivated? Would you say your previous answer lines up with how you’d respond to this question. 

MARZWRLD: Honestly, yeah, I mean, with modeling and being creative you always hear ‘no’ but it really is redirection. I look back and I'm just like everything worked out how it was supposed to. It's hard in the moment, but you come to terms with it, but then you see the bigger picture later on and it's like, “wow, you know, that no was actually a yes for me, honey!” 

Durant: And where do you see MARZ as a person and as a brand in the next five to ten years? And is there anything we can see coming soon in the near future from MARZ? 

MARZWRLD: Eventually I would love to see my clothes get bigger. We can expect bigger and better, higher quality, but still sustainable one of one's, but also branching making clothes that everyone can buy. I want to get into a lot of things. I mean, like MARZWRLD as a brand I do so much. And it's just really exciting, but expect workshops, even more performances. Just expect to be like damn this bitch does it all. And that's what's about to come, honey. Especially with doing drag, I feel like I just dipped my toe into what I'm capable of and what is coming from me. And I just feel like in this next year, or two, or however long,  it's about to be a deep dive into this creative world that I've created. I'm just so excited to see where it goes because I really don't know, but I just know it's going to be good and this is me now speaking into existence with you. 

Durant: Exactly. And that shit is going to happen, okay! 

MARZWRLD: It's happening right now!

Written and interviewed by Diamond Durant @diamondurant

Photography by Mark Bluemle @barks.mindd 

Talent: Marz @​​marzwrldbitch

BETWEEN TWO STAGES: A Conversation Between Singles

In a time of the word “situationship” and too many dating apps to count, being single and ready to mingle in 2025 is not a small feat. There’s an onslaught of constant evolution from the world of social media and forms of communication to the ways we date. 

Jade Shine, comedy writer and mother of three children, is dating for the first time since she was nineteen after going through a divorce. Ana, a current senior in her undergraduate degree with no real idea of where her life is going, is just trying to figure it all out. 

The two single writers came up with five questions for one another, all about love, life after and before relationships, and understanding the state of the online dating stratosphere. Here’s what they found: 

Ana Marks: What are your approaches to dating in 2025, and how drastically do they differ from when you started dating? 

Jade Shine: When I was last dating (at age 19!!!), I wanted to find some idealized Prince Charming to spend my life with. Vomit emoji. 

My current approach is to manifest exactly what I want, but at the end of that manifestation, I add… “or something ten times better.”  I’m leaving space for God (or the universe) to give me more than I could imagine for myself. I have the mindset that each and every relationship is here to teach me something important about myself, and I need to stay open. 

​​JS: What is the most important thing I need to know about modern dating? Differences from when I last dated?

AM: Screen culture has changed everything. Commitment and communication is entirely different. I think both social media and remote working, while very different things, have greatly impacted the way we socialize and live within the world. So much of how we keep contact with one another is via words on the screen, and people have become less social due to the convenience of technology. I also think social structures around the roles within heterosexual relationships have totally changed. There's more discourse over who pays on a first date, and I think women have more agency in a sense within the relationship. 

AM: In what ways do your standards for a partner change as your life evolves? Are you looking more for practicality (career similarities, financial stability) or for emotional connection? 

JS: I’m not looking for a dream guy. For me, what is most important is being with someone who supports me being the best version of myself. I want any partner to be emotionally healthy, confident in who they are (not what they’ve accomplished), and to have a big heart.

JS: Are you trying to find “the one”? Get married/ have kids? Or do you have different dating goals? 

AM: I think in today's climate, marriage isn’t totally something a lot of people in my generation are totally thinking about when it comes to dating. I personally can’t imagine myself with kids and a more settled down life, but I’m also only 21. I grew up in Texas, so I open Instagram pretty often to see some engagement or pregnancy announcements, and I'm always so shocked, but then I remember that’s kind of the beauty of where our culture is today. It’s acceptable to be my age and have those things happen for you and also it’s more acceptable to not know exactly what you want at this age. I would say I’m looking for someone I want to share life with. I like existing in my own spaces and having my own hobbies, and I would want someone that can exist in those spaces with me and also create something outside of what I’ve built in my own life. I’m of the belief that my partner should be my best friend, someone I want to be around constantly and someone I can confide in. 

AM: How would you say your perceptions of love have changed by being a mother? 

JS: Being a mother teaches you a whole new level of sacrificial love you never thought possible. You never realize how much your mom (or another loving adult) loves you until you love your own child. You would sacrifice your life (and so much sleep!) for this child. You will never have your heart broken as much as when something terrible happens to your child. In some ways, it can make romantic love challenging because maternal love is so powerful. 

JS: Let’s talk about apps. Which ones should I try and why? 

AM: Personally, I had Hinge for about 24 hours before I was annoyed by the interface and disappointed with my matches. This probably speaks more to my impatient nature, but they’re daunting. I’ve heard good things about Bumble, but I’ve also met couples who met on Tinder. I think it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for when you start swiping and creating your profile. 

AM: Describe your ideal first date, how different is it from your ideal first date from when you first started dating?

JS: There is so much fake bullshit in the “getting to know you” date. Any first date where I can get beyond that and see a glimpse of who the person is, and let them see me, is ideal. Time is precious, and I don’t want to waste it showing each other our masks. 

When I was in college, my ideal first date was probably something romantic. Now I think that comes later. A personal gesture that is specific to one person is much more romantic than a date planned for a stranger. 

JS: What are the stages of dating? 

AM: The “talking stage” is a big one, which I would classify as a “getting to know stage.” A touch of flirting, but you’re still working on those early impressions. If talking is mostly dependent on screens (meeting over an app or social media, etc.) I would say the next stage is the “going on dates” stage. Seeing how the person is in different situations and in different atmospheres is important in finding a partner, if that’s what you’re looking for.  Depending on your own goals for the relationship, the following stages are entirely unique to the couple. If you’re looking for something more serious, I would think the next stage of dating is just that; defining the relationship for what it is and then acting on that. If the plan is to keep it casual, the stages are more of a go-with-the-flow vibe. 

JS: What is a situationship, and are they necessarily bad? 

AM: As I understand it, a situationship is something slightly more psychologically torturing than a friends with benefits situation. I think that if you’re looking for that kind of gratification and for something with absolutely no strings attached, a situationship doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world. I do think, however, that it takes a mental toll. More often than not, it’s one party who wants more out of the situation, and the other party could not care less, hence how the situationship is born. Labels are big these days, and they have to be agreed upon by both parties. 

AM: What is one important piece of relationship advice that you wish you were told in your early 20’s? Is it something you learned recently?

JS: Fight for what is important. By nature, I don’t like conflict, but any relationship worth keeping is going to require you to set strong boundaries that will bring conflict. This doesn’t mean being rigid and having a “my way or the highway” attitude, but to engage in a safe and loving way with a partner to discover how you can both get your needs met. This requires a partner who is emotionally healthy enough to see this not as a criticism, but a beautiful negotiation. 

Jade Shine’s Writing Bio: 

Jade Shine writes MOM-COMS to voice the flaws, fears, and ferocious wants of moms. She seeks to demolish the established archetype of “mother” to allow women to be the fullest versions of themselves. Jade has optioned two comedy features and has placed in many contests, including PAGE, Austin, and Cinestory.  Born in San Francisco to hippie parents who joined a cult,  Jade was uprooted from that life to grow up on a farm in Iowa. After graduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Jade is also an Occupational Therapist, where she assesses her patients’ strengths and weaknesses. She transforms her characters like they are her patients – with specific treatment plans designed to heal. Jade currently resides and writes in Houston, Texas, but plans to someday hit the road as a backup singer for P!nk.

Ana Marks’ Writing Bio: 

Ana Marks is a freelance music, film, and culture writer born in Houston, Texas and based in New York City. Writing for various publications such as 47Magazine, Off the Record Press, and the Washington Square News, she has covered new releases and done various pop culture retrospectives. She is currently in her last year of her undergraduate degree at New York University, with a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Media, Culture, and Communications. She channels her passion for film through her editorial and archival research work. When she’s not writing or working at one of her three jobs, she’s probably at the movies or calling her mom and dad to complain. 

Oh the Places You’ll Go - Allegra Kirkland, Politics Editor at Teen Vogue.

In the modern age, more than ever, journalism and the news are in the palms of citizens everywhere. Anyone and everyone is able to be a reporter, the firsthand account of what is going on. However, this has brought an onslaught of the ever-popular fake news, false information, and straight-up lies being spread like wildfire across the internet. Allegra Kirkland is a New York City resident, mother, journalist, Oberlin graduate, and current Politics Director at Teen Vogue. 

I had the chance to interview Kirkland, getting a closer look at the responsibilities of a working journalist in Lower Manhattan and the world today. As I walked through the streets of Manhattan to get to One World Trade, the location of Teen Vogues office, thoughts were swarming my head about who Allegra would be, the kind of conversations we would have, and what her job was like, especially after earning her spot at one of the top media companies in 2025. Teen Vogue has been consistently rising back into the spotlight, increasingly speaking out on different social and political issues across the globe. After I got through the security of the building and we had secured our respective iced lattes (which Kirkland very kindly got for us), we sat down, and I got to hear some of Kirkland's thoughts. 

Allegra Kirkland

Lucy Anderson: Who are you? Do you want to give us a little bio, name, place, etc?

Allegra Kirkland: Of course, sure. I'm Allegra Kirkland. I'm the politics director at Teen Vogue, and I've been here since 2019, so almost six years. I just oversee basically everything that lives in the politics section, so all of our coverage of education, and what's going on in Congress, and the courts, and our history coverage, immigration, climate change, and just, like, you know, minor stuff. That's just minor stuff, yeah.

LA: So, Teen Vogue for six years, but before that, what were you doing? What was your path up to Teen Vogue? 

AK: Yeah, so before that, I loved to stay in places forever, apparently. I was at this publication called Talking Points, I don't know for... five-plus years, and I did, like, every job. That was where I came up, I guess. I did every single job there... You kind of learn how to do everything when no one's expecting you to know how to do it all yet. It's useful. It also just gives you more respect for everyone's job in the newsroom. 

I knew I wanted to be writing and stuff. So I was writing while doing those other jobs. And then, I became a news writer on the 6 am shift. So I had to get to the office at six in the morning every day- but it was good training because there was no one else on. 

That was a crash course. And then I became a reporter, covering national politics. But my little beats were voting rights and far-right extremism. And then, I was a reporter on that last job before I came to Teen Vogue.

LA: Wow. Amazing. Do you think anything within your job might surprise people? Is there something that maybe even surprised you in terms of, like, subject matter or what the role involves?

AK: I like it, self-consciously, but it's accurate; I joke that 50% of my job is just sending and receiving emails. Like, it's crazy. Just because we don't have staff writers, we work exclusively with freelancers, which is so interesting. I think that's very unique. Fielding pitches all day long. And I really do want to, especially because we work with so many, like, early-career writers and students. Like, I don't want to leave people hanging. So it takes a long fucking time. That's the least sexy part of the job. Is responding to emails. Also, there was a lot of project management in terms of just bringing different parts of our team together. That I actually really enjoy. 

LA: That's a very niche talent, finding the people who you think will do well together. 

AK: I'm just being like, “okay, the social video team is annoyed about this thing” and “we need to keep this moving” and “what's the deadline for that?” And I don't know. It's just a lot of moving parts, so you're kind of [always] reading emails. 

LA: You're in politics, and out of the four main columns that Teen Vogue does. There is immigration, environmental justice, government, and history. Is there any one of those categories that really draws you to the politics column? Or is there a column you feel you most drawn to?

AK: Yeah, that's [all] stuff I am interested in. But, I think education is something I've just kind of gotten more involved with since being at Teen Vogue, because we didn't do a lot of the coverage of my past job. I just think it still lends into everything else that's happening in the country right now. We see all the attacks on trans youth, start in schools, and bathroom bans and things like that. All the anti-DEI stuff. It all kind of grew out of the Department of Education being shut down. So I just think that it's such a fascinating [topic]. 

LA: Yes. The history of education is very interesting. How it started out as just shoving kids in a room to get them to learn how to sit still, to what we have now, is very interesting. 

AK: And surveillance. Like, we're running this piece soon. The Knight Institute at Columbia is filing this lawsuit against this Texas school district for using these ED tech programs that basically, track every single word that kids type on their school-issued laptops and stuff - and it's supposed to be for flagging mental health concerns, but, obviously, that could be used by overzealous people.

LA: What has been your favorite part of your journalism career so far? I know that's, like, a huge sphere, but is there anything that really sticks out to you? 

AK: Yeah. I mean, this probably sounds corny, but I really love working with student journalists. Like, I don't know. I just think it's so fun and engaging. And I learn so much from the pitches we get. And, I've worked with so many teenagers who are more professional and better writers than 34-year-olds. And, like, one specific project was for the election last year. We had this group of student journalist correspondents who were in battleground states. And they were such wonderful human beings.

LA: The most radical people come from some of the most difficult places to live. The most difficult places to be radical. 

AK: Right. And when I'm, like, “oh, my God, how am I still in this industry?” Then I meet people who really want to. I'm like “okay… maybe this job is awesome”.

LA: Exactly. Well, I have one last question for you. Because of all of your work in activism and politics, and the care that you seem to really have for all of these issues. Are there any pieces of advice that you want to give to student journalists and those teenagers who want to make a change, and who want to follow a path like yours? 

AK: Yeah, some cliche ones, but generally just finding community. Finding like-minded people, finding people who can help you along the way, whether it's mentor figures or just peers who you can be, like, “I'm applying for this job, can you look at my cover letter?”. It is nice to have people who care about the same things you care about. (and) Don't worry about having the perfect internship, the perfect career path. It's okay to take a nonlinear one.

Stay updated with Teen Vogue @teenvogue on socials and here. Thank you to Allegra Kirkland and the staff at Teen Vogue for the interview. All photos provided and approved by Allegra Kirkland.

This interview has been edited for length.